The Adoring Fan
by Doctor Robert
Summary: The Einherjar are strange souls and Owain studies them relentlessly so he might catch a cool new move. Of course he never imagined he'd be accosted by one of them... Roy and Owain oneshot. Rated K because strangely enough I don't need to rate it higher.


Wow, it's been a while since I wrote an FE fanfic! And if I had a dollar for every time I've said that here... I actually wouldn't be all that rich... so yeah.

This fanfic idea came to me whist reading the exquisite fanfic _Starchild_ by Mark of Asphodel... or rather more specifically a _different_ idea came to me and then I decided that was way too personal (it had something to do with Roy from FE6 being a semi-autobiographical character's conscience and also it had something to do with space travel too... like I said, way too personal). So instead I brushed up a fanfic idea that's been kicking around my head ever since Awakening came out... I really need to get these out into the world before Fates comes to my country. (because Owain is Odin and... other stuff... dunno)

This fanfic actually started out just with Owain asking Roy for an autograph but now it's... rather different. In fact, the original title here may or may not be right for it... The funny thing about my stories is that often I start out fixing to do one thing and then it ends up rather different.

Basically, this story (EXTREMELY SELFISHLY! DX ) follows my own head-cannon. That is, the Avatar/Robin married Lissa and also is basically me, Doctor Robert (I didn't think it was selfish as long as I didn't make blatant fanfiction about it! Honest!). Also, (because things couldn't get any more Mary-Sue) my Avatar was the Tactician in FE7 and that somehow after hanging out with Lyndis and Eliwood, my Avatar found his way to Ylisse (this isn't tremendously far-fetched considering the Robin is found near Southtown, which is very close to the Outrealm gate. Meh. :/ ). I apologize in advance but... isn't fanfiction all about head-cannons?

*Sigh* Maybe my thoughts on the einherjar will make this fanfic more digestible?

Well, I certainly don't own Fire Emblem; but if I did, I wouldn't abuse it, I swear! (*grrr* let's just roll the fanfic...)

* * *

The Adoring Fan

Owain sat against a tree, far enough into the forest to not be noticed but close enough to observe. He was a few dozen feet from a large clearing a short walk from the Shepherds' camp. Frederick, peerless in his duty as lieutenant, had designated several training grounds around the sparse, Feroxi forest they'd come into that were much closer than this place. Instead the einherjar trained here.

They were an odd bunch, the einherjar. Most of them took their meals away from the main army and it took a lot of coaxing to convince Marth and Ike to join their "family" in a meal. Old Hubba had been wrong; it only took a little effort for an einherjar to become aware of who they were. There was an intense melancholy to the einherjar nonetheless. Perhaps all the melancholy and stoicism came from the simple fact that everything they ever cared about was gone. But if that were completely true, why was it that Lugh and Raigh didn't have the chemistry that Owain had with his sister on the battlefield?

Owain, it seemed, was the only person out of all the Shepherds that had taken much of an interest in these spirits. His dad was too busy with his duties as staff officer and tactician but Owain knew Robert was fascinated by the einherjar. Father and son completely geeked out when Owain's dad first awoke most of the einherjar out of their cards… Lissa appeared to suffer through the geek out but secretly she was all too happy and amused to see the two be such dorks.

Owain had his own reasons to watch the einherjar. Owain had spent his entire life dreaming about the adventures these people had had. Owain knew he'd never be as cool as Eliwood and Roy and Ike and Marth… but perhaps if he could write fast enough, he might get lucky and be able to copy down some of the epic moves of awesomeness that these resurrected legends performed like second-nature. Maybe, if Owain gained enough courage in his chest, he'd approach Roy, who was training alone now, and ask him for his autograph…

Perhaps Owain was avoiding the status of his own life. He knew but didn't want to confront the simple fact that everyone thought he was a total loser: his uncle, his cousin, Inigo, Severa, Yarne… maybe even his mother. He felt his sister only hung around him because without memories she didn't know better. His dad encouraged him, at least. Sometimes it seemed like they were brothers when they were talking, his dad really understood him somehow. As for the rest of the army… it was hard not having any friends.

He observed and he scribbled. He wished he could have epic friends like the einherjar but he knew he was nowhere near cool enough for them. He paused his writings to watch but Roy wasn't in the clearing any more…

"What are you doing?" asked Roy from a few feet from Owain. Owain was startled so bad he'd give Yarne a run for his money. He found hard azure eyes staring down on him.

"I was… um… observing…" Owain stuttered.

"Hey, aren't you the Doctor's kid?" asked Roy.

"Well… yes," answered Owain, finding himself once more as he put his hand over his face, "I am the scion of the great Doctor Robert; Owain Dark!"

Roy nodded, "Yeah, my dad told me a lot of stories about your dad… Funny how now we're both fighting in an army together, huh?" Owain noted how weird Roy talked… almost like some normal guy Owain's age, "Say, do you want to spar?"

Owain, awestruck, lost his words: to train with Roy the Lion? It was Owain's dream (among many). "I'd… I'd be delighted!" Owain's voice cracked annoyingly.

"Well, let's go then," said Roy. Owain stood and discovered Roy was about his own height. Whatever legends about Roy's shortness must've been exaggerated… or perhaps Roy would have something of a growth spurt later on. This version of Roy did look a bit older than fifteen. Owain would have to make a note later on Roy's appearance in the "wardrobe of epic excellence" section of his Manual of Justice. Capes were pretty cool, so where headbands… Owain wasn't so sure about the bow, though… that seemed like something Owain's mom would like him to wear.

Owain left his beloved Missiletainn at the clearing's edge and picked up a wood training sword. He realized he was shaking; he really hoped he could remember every one of Roy's movements for later notation in the Manual. "Alright," said Roy once he was in the middle of the field facing Owain, "give me your best move."

Owain gulped. That had caught him way off guard, he had no idea Roy was so generous. He had to come up with something quick. "Secret art…" he whispered with eyes closed before putting his sword in the right position. "BINDING BLADE!" he shouted as he barreled up to Roy like a man possessed. He jumped high and brought his sword down onto Roy.

Roy barely blocked the mighty blow. Even with a wooden sword it would've left a welt the size of a melon on his head. "W-Whoa," said Roy, "That was amazing! Can you teach me that?"

If Owain was caught off guard before, he was caught completely with his pants down this time. "You want me to teach you… my stupid little move?" When he was alone, either now or in the future past, he carried himself like the epic hero he imagined himself to be. Around the other future-children, he secretly knew he was a laughingstock. He was becoming increasingly aware at what an embarrassment he was of his mother and of his fellow Shepherds.

"It was hardly little," said Roy, "and it wasn't stupid either. Seriously, your techniques are amazing."

Owain felt a smile curl up his lips. Perhaps he wasn't the retarded freak his peers thought he was after all… "But this is all wrong," said Owain, "You're the great Roy, the Lion King of Lycia. You're a legend from a far off land. You're… one of the most awesome people to have ever lived and you're only here because we summoned your soul or spirit or… whatever. If anything, I should be the one asking you for your autograph, let alone for some combat training."

Roy looked thoughtfully at the ground at this. He really did look older than Owain had pictured before. His chin was strong for a teenager and his azure eyes were heavy-set with the experience of facing against dozens of dragons. He didn't look too old, though. As Owain looked at the young redhead, he could see faded remnants of freckles. "I think it's just weird that you think I'm a legend," said Roy, looking at the blue gas that escaped his skin in breaths even now, "It's true that I come from another continent, maybe even another planet… from an outrealm or a different time. A lot of what happened to me after the war I was in is blurry. For all I know, I could still be alive and my body fell into a coma back in Lycia… or maybe I died centuries ago…"

Roy shook his head and regarded Owain, "But I look at you and I can't help but think how much we have in common. I said it before, my dad and your dad fought together in a war, it just wasn't this war. With that in mind, what makes me different from you? How am I not just another kid who came back from the future to help his parents out?"

Owain caught himself staring at the blue vapor coming off of Roy's skin. "I don't even know what this means," Roy said, "Am I dead, a ghost, or just a visitor to this plane in a similar way you are? Did you ever ask yourself, Owain Dark, if going to a time before you were born meant you were dead?"

Thrice Owain found himself off-guard. Owain thought this was a really bad habit he was forming, "Since you put it that way…"

Roy shrugged and said, "I won't worry about it. It may mean I'll dissolve into a cloud of dust when I die here or maybe I'll grow old. This may be my second life… or my seventh; but I don't care. I'm here now so I might as well make the most of it." He struck his hand out to Owain, "Friends?"

Owain managed to gather his persona enough to respond with a hearty handshake worthy of a hero, "Friends."

"Now," said Roy, "show me that 'blinding blade' thing." He grinned earnestly.

Owain was a bit blown away. This was so not what he imagined. With a clever grin, he said, "I think I'll divulge such a secret move… but first you have to give me your autograph." He held out his Manual of Justice and strategically turned it to the page that had details of the Binding Blade move on it.

Roy laughed hard but obliged. After spending the afternoon perfecting the move, Owain invited Roy back to the main mess tent for dinner and strangely enough, Roy followed. Stranger still it was when Roy laughed and talked with the other future-children just as easily as a normal human being. It wasn't long before the blue vapors seemed hardly noticeable to anybody at the table that evening.

Owain later wrote a theory in his Manual that night. Perhaps the more solid a connection an einherjar formed with the people and the world around him or her, the more like a real person they'd be. It made sense but somebody needed to further test the idea. Owain's father was intrigued when he heard. Maybe Robert could get Lyndis and Eliwood to talk to him and maybe… he could start piecing his memory together…

* * *

Sue-ish-ness of m'Avatar aside, I felt this was too good to leave languishing on my hard drive.

*Anyway,* I always felt Owain would be extremely geeky about the einherjar and would be watching them for secret moves (perhaps he even got a lot of his moves from some einherjar...? But that doesn't make sense to the story, so... *cough*). Even the Sue-ish-ness aside, I think Robin/MyUnit/Avatar would be fascinated by the einherjar as well, probably finding some time to study them. I just felt so much was implied about the einherjar being actually sentient that it couldn't be ignored by the Shepherds...

*Ahem* Reviewing would be kind, even if it's just a rant about my filthy head-cannon... no, really. ^_^


End file.
